100 Drabble Challange
by Qwerty616120
Summary: Yes, that's right- this crazy author is attempting to write 100 Merlin drabbles! This collection will include everything from fun to whump to magical reveals, and anything else I can think of! (No slash, as always. Rated "T" for possible violence in future drabbles) Enjoy!
1. Gaius's Medicine

**Hey, guys! :) As you've probably guessed, I'm attempting the 100 drabble challenge. I have no idea how long this will take, but hopefully they'll be fun to read. This drabble is a bit short, but it's just to get things started. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave suggestions for drabbles in the reviews, because I'm probably going to run out of ideas pretty quickly! Enjoy! **

**Warning: All medical info seen below is completely made up by me. Please don't try it at home or anything- it's just supposed to be a fun thing to read. **

**Disclaimer: BBC owns all… one day, though *evil smirk* **

Drabble 1- Gaius's Medicine

"MERLIN!" The young maid in the hallway turned, shocked, in time to see the future king of Camelot stalk down the hall, looking furious. Being new, she felt immediate pity for this "Merlin" fellow- Arthur's wrath surely wouldn't be easy to endure. The older maid next to her, who had worked in the castle since her teenage years, only chuckled.

"Don't look so horrified, Adda," she chided, her eyes bright.

"But the poor man he's looking for!" Adda, the new maid, protested. "Codie, what do you think he did?"

"Probably overslept," Codie chuckled. Adda blinked in surprise.

"Overslept?" She asked hesitantly. "Crown Prince Arthur is mad… because a man _overslept_?"

"Not just any man," the plump older maid smiled. "His manservant."

"Why not just fire him?" Adda asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Prince Arthur? Fire _Merlin_?" Codie burst into laughter, as if Adda had told a hilarious joke. "That's one thing the Prince would never do. He never has before."

"Before?" Adda repeated.

"The poor boy is almost never on time," Codie smiled good-naturally. "But to fire him… Merlin is safe, Adda. Being friends with a prince has its benefits!"

-Line Break-

"Merlin, I should fire you! Think you're safe, do you?" The Prince ranted, bursting into Gaius's chambers. "Forty minutes late, _honestly_! Do you have _any _sense of time?"

"Hello, Arthur," Merlin said cheerfully. "I see someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"At least I woke up on time, no thanks to you," Arthur snapped back, pausing his rant for the first time as he took a good look at what Merlin was doing. Passing various bottles to a busy-looking Gaius, he didn't look like a sleeping manservant.

"I had to borrow Merlin for a bit this morning," Gaius said in his dry way. "There's been a serious outbreak in the lower town, and I need the medicine made as soon as possible."

"Ah," Arthur said, realizing with a start that Merlin actually had an excuse this time. "I see," he said awkwardly.

"I'm almost done, Arthur," the manservant told him. "Just wait a minute."

"You may as well make yourself useful," Gaius added. "Pass me that vial, will you? Right next to you- yes, that's the one."

Arthur picked up a suspicious looking green vial and passed it to the physician, watching as he dumped it into the large wooden bowl.

"Merlin, pass me more of that Sage root," Gaius ordered, tossing it into the bowl. "And some Rabbit pellets, please."

Both Merlin and Arthur froze at the request.

"Some _what?_" Merlin asked at the same time as Arthur cried, "You can't mean to put that in the medicine!"

"Of course I do," Gaius said, looking faintly amused at both boy's reactions. "It's a common ingredient."

"_What?!_" Merlin and Arthur cried in unison.

"How common?" Arthur demanded.

"It's in most medicines," Gaius informed the Prince, watching as Arthur's face paled slightly.

"You mean to tell me that I've been eating _rabbit pellets?!_" Arthur asked, a mix of horror and nausea written clearly on his face.

"Yes, sire," Gaius responded.

"You never told me that," Merlin interjected, also looking like he might be sick.

"I'm sure I have," Gaius objected, shooting Merlin a disapproving look. "You just weren't listening."

"Are there any other… ingredients… I should know about?" Arthur managed.

"Hum," Gaius paused, pondering the Prince's question. "In this specific remedy, or in general?"

"In general."

"Well, I've used earthworms, horse dung, various roots, liver, several kinds of beetles- the beetles are the hardest, they're always trying to crawl away…"

Both boys turned a faint shade of green as Gaius continued listing off the ingredients.

"I am never eating anything you make ever again," Merlin said suddenly, breaking off Gaius's list.

"And when you're sick?" Gaius asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll suffer in silence," Merlin said stubbornly. Arthur could only nod in agreement. Waste and beetles? No thanks. That was _not _something the Crown Prince wanted to be eating.

"We'll see," Gaius said placidly, turning back to his concoction. "Merlin, you may leave now. I can finish up from here."

"Okay," Merlin said, before bolting from the room, Arthur close behind.

"That was disgusting," Arthur managed as they walked toward his chambers.

"Extremely," Merlin agreed, his sickly complexion mirroring his master. As they talked, two maids walked by, pausing when they saw the pair.

"Are you feeling ok, sire?" Asked the plumper of the two, looking concerned. "You look a bit sick. You both do, in fact. You should see Gaius for some-"

"NO!"

** Short, I know :/ Eh, oh well. Ideas are welcome! Until next time!**


	2. He's a what?

**Hola, everybody! Time for Drabble Two! Quick shout out to ****Myusernameisorigional**** for the drabble idea- I hope I did it justice. :) Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: BBC owns all… *sniff* **

Drabble 2- He's a what?!

Arthur winced as he stepped on yet another twig, inwardly cursing himself. Normally he was silent in the woods, but then again, he rarely ever hunted at night.

_Maybe I should have waited 'till morning. _Even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn't have. Why spend all night tossing and turning, knowing sleep would elude him? The strains of being King were taking their toll, and Arthur was feeling its effects. Sleep loss was just one of them.

Even though Gaius had assured Arthur that he would adjust, his responsibilities still seemed stifling. _As if you even have an excuse anymore, _he mentally scolded himself. He'd been King for a while now, after all. Still, out in the woods, with nothing but the cool, crisp night air for company- Arthur's head felt clearer than it had in a while.

Stepping on yet _another _twig, Arthur sighed aloud. _I'm beginning to be as clumsy as Merlin, _the king thought dryly to himself. As if summoned by his thoughts, a flash of movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention.

"What the…" Arthur muttered to himself, ducking behind a tree to watch the person. "Is that… Merlin?" The king asked himself under his breath, baffled. What was Merlin doing out in the forest, in the dead of night?

He opened his mouth to call out to his friend- er, manservant- but hesitated. Maybe it would be better to just watch and see what Merlin was doing. A small twang of guilt rippled through him for spying of the man, but he shoved it down. _I'm the king. I'll spy on people if I want to, _he reassured himself. And if he still felt the tinniest bit guilty- well, no one had to know.

He was jerked from his thoughts by Merlin, who had tilted back his head and-

_What on earth is he doing? _Arthur thought in bewilderment as Merlin _roared _at the sky. He almost might have been… _talking_… but if he was, it certainly wasn't in any language Arthur had heard before.

Then, just as suddenly as he'd started, he stopped. And just stood there.

_Merlin, you idiot. What do you think you're doing? _Arthur thought to himself as the other man just stood in the middle of the forest clearing. It was almost like he was waiting.

_But waiting for what? _

A moment later the sound of leathery wings flapping together filled the area, and Arthur got his answer. It was a _dragon. _The same dragon Arthur himself had already killed! What was going on?!

He was about to yell to Merlin to _run, _for goodness sakes, when Merlin started _talking _to it.

"Hello, Kilgharrah," Merlin said to the beast, as if he was greeting another person.

_Has he lost his mind?! _Arthur mentally screamed, torn between running out and trying to save Merlin, or waiting a bit longer. After all, the beast hadn't actually attacked yet.

"Hello, young warlock," said the dragon. Arthur thought he was going to pass out. _It could talk. _He was so startled; he almost missed how the dragon called Merlin a warlock- almost. As it was, he had no idea what a warlock was.

"I see you've been successful once again," the dragon commented, eyeing Merlin critically. _Successful with what?_

"I was," Merlin agreed. "Although it was harder than I thought it was going to be. Arthur almost saw me."

_Saw what? _Arthur wondered, frustrated.

"I wish I could tell him," Merlin added, sounding as frustrated as Arthur felt. "It'd be so much easier."

"The young King is not yet ready," Kilgharrah warned. "For the time being, your influence must remain secret."

"Yeah, yeah," Merlin mumbled. "I know. I just don't like lying to him."

_Lying to me?! _Arthur thought, stunned. _Merlin couldn't lie to save his life! _Still, uneasiness twisted in the pit of Arthur's stomach. He hadn't known Merlin could talk to _dragons, _for gods' sake.

How could he talk to dragons, anyway? It wasn't like he was a… _Oh no. _Was it possible that Merlin, his clumsy manservant, was a _Dragon Lord_?

_But Balinor was the last Dragon Lord! _Arthur thought almost desperately to himself. _For Merlin to be a Dragon Lord, he would have had to be Balinor's… _

_Oh no. _

Had Balinor been Merlin's _father? _Arthur knew the talent was passed down through family- Gaius had told him once as a child. Suddenly Merlin's reaction to Balinor's death made painful sense.

And Arthur had told him… _Oh no. _He felt like such a fool. How had he been so blind? Of course Merlin had been upset!

Back in the clearing, Merlin bid the dragon goodbye and watched as the beast flew off. Arthur watched numbly as Merlin turned and walked into the forest on the other side of the clearing, heading back to Camelot and disappearing from view. 

_Merlin was a Dragon Lord. A Dragon Lord! _The title seemed to echo in Arthur's skull, daring him to deny it after seeing undeniable evidence with his own eyes.

How had he not noticed?!

And here he had thought he'd known everything there was to know about his friend. In his shocked state, Arthur's mind barely registered that he'd called Merlin his friend.

His friend… his friend who was a Dragon Lord… his friend who, if the laws were to be abided, should be executed.

Arthur couldn't do that.

_Looks like I'll be keeping your secret, _he thought to himself. _At least I know the truth now! _

**Oh, Arthur… if only you knew ;) So, the next drabble **_**might **_**be a follow-up, where Arthur confronts Merlin about what he's seen- maybe. Let me know if you guys would like to see that or not! Until next time! **


	3. WAY More than One Secret

**Hey, guys! :) Time for drabble 3! Quick announcement for my PJO readers: if you read my other fics, I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long! :( I meant to write a PJO today, but somehow this ended up getting written instead. Sorry! **

**Thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited! You guys keep me motivated! :) **

**Disclaimer: BBC owns all… **

* * *

Drabble 3- WAY More than One Secret

"Rise and shine!" Came Merlin's cheerful voice, yanking Arthur from his sleep. The hike in the forest last night had left him exhausted, and-

At the thought of the forest everything came back to him and hit him all at once, like he'd been pushed in an icy river. Merlin. The dragon. _Merlin talking to the dragon. _

Merlin, who was not just a manservant, as it turned out, but also a Dragon Lord.

Wide-awake now, Arthur snapped upright, looking at his friend through new eyes. He certainly _seemed _the same- clumsy, too cheerful, and just annoying in general.

"Uh, Arthur?" Merlin prompted, looking a little freaked out, and Arthur realized he'd been staring.

"Have you got my breakfast yet?" Arthur demanded quickly, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"No, but-"

"What are you waiting for? Go get it! Honestly, Merlin, are you completely useless?" The words just rolled off his tongue naturally, and only a second later did he realize what he'd said.

Snapping at a Dragon Lord? Not smart. Merlin could probably call the dragon to burn the whole kingdom down if he wanted. But the manservant just rolled his eyes, muttering something about "clotpoles" under his breath as he left the room to get the King's breakfast.

Once Merlin's questioning eyes were gone, Arthur allowed his mixed emotions- shock, confusion, disbelief (just to name a few) slide across his face. Merlin didn't seem like a powerful Dragon Lord- he'd never seemed like a powerful anything, now that Arthur thought of it.

But he was. What was the King supposed to do now? Execution was out of the question, but was he really supposed to just pretend nothing had happened? He was breaking his own law, for gods' sake!

_You could always ask Merlin about it… _whispered a small voice in Arthur's head. He quickly shushed it. _Him_, forced to ask his _manservant _about his personal life? That wouldn't do at all.

If he was being honest with himself, he wanted Merlin to tell him the truth himself- although he was certain it was because the king wanted to keep up his appearances. It had nothing to do whatsoever with that little hurt feeling he'd pushed to the back of his mind, the little hurt feeling that whispered _he doesn't trust you. _No, that was obviously completely unrelated.

"You're not dressed yet?" Merlin asked, walking back in to the king's chambers, the door swishing shut behind him with a dull thud.

"It's your job to dress me," Arthur responded dryly, his kingly mask back in place.

"You're a full grown man expected to fight wars, yet you can't dress yourself," Merlin muttered.

"What was that, _Mer_lin?" Arthur asked, knowing full well what he'd said.

"Nothing, sire." Coming from anyone else, the words would have been a respectful sign of obedience. Coming from Merlin, on the other hand, they sounded like an insult.

"That's right, nothing," Arthur said, as regally as possible for a king still in his nightclothes. "Now get my clothes."

"You haven't told me what you're doing today," Merlin prompted, cocking an eyebrow. "Do you need armor? Formal clothes? Riding c-"

"Just get some clothes _Mer_lin," Arthur ordered, rubbing one temple. "I'm looking over the tax reports today. Possibly hunting later, but for now, normal clothes will do."

"Hunting," Merlin grumbled. "Always hunting. Shooting poor innocent bunnies. Makes you feel very manly, does it?"

"_Mer_lin!"

* * *

By dinner that night, Arthur was very, _very _frustrated. All day, and Merlin hadn't so much as whispered a word about dragons. Now, as the servant in question poured the king some wine, Arthur decided he needed a little "push" in the right direction.

"There's an execution scheduled for tomorrow, by the way," Arthur lied idly. "So I'll need my formal clothes washed."

"An execution?" Merlin asked, replacing the wine pitcher. "Who's getting executed? I didn't hear anything about someone getting thrown in the dungeons!"

"That's because you're not the king, and people don't report to you," Arthur said evenly, although mentally he was praying that Merlin wouldn't see through his admittedly half-baked lie. Luckily, Merlin seemed to believe his master.

"What did the person do?" Merlin asked, handing Arthur his plate.

"Oh, a high offense," Arthur said off handily. "Lying to me, of course." Merlin's face paled immediately and he turned away, hiding his expression.

"Lying," Merlin muttered, his voice slightly unsteady. "And now he's going to die? Don't you think that's a bit harsh?"

"Well, if he'd _told me the truth_, maybe I'd have had a bit more mercy. But he didn't, so…" Arthur let his voice trail off. Merlin remained silent, not meeting Arthur's gaze.

"You know, meeting liars has made me appreciate the people I _can _trust," he continued. "You, for example. Of course, you can't lie to save your life, but still." Although Arthur couldn't see his servant's face, he could see Merlin's shoulder tense. _Guilt. _Honestly, Arthur had no idea how he hadn't picked up on these signs earlier.

"That's me, trustworthy through and through," Merlin said, a little too cheerfully as he re-faced Arthur. "Ham or turkey?"

"Turkey," Arthur replied, cursing inwardly. He'd been _so close_, he could just _feel _it.

_Dang it, Merlin, _he thought sourly. _Just tell me! _

"Tell you what?" Arthur froze at Merlin's question. Had he said that last part out loud? Oops… he briefly considered lying and saying he was wondering if there was any beef, but decided against it. He wanted the truth.

"I saw you," Arthur told him, watching his face carefully. An outsider would have said Merlin looked normal, but Arthur picked up on the raw terror and panic in Merlin's eyes.

"Saw what?" Merlin asked desperately, and Arthur suddenly remembered something his friend had told the dragon: _Arthur almost saw me. _Merlin thought he was referring to something else. Well, this could be interesting.

"I saw everything," the king replied. The blood drained from Merlin's face at the words, the terror undisguised now.

"Arthur, I swear, I only used a little bit. She had a knife, she was going to kill you, and I had to stop her, and-"

"Hang on," Arthur said, holding one hand up, his mind reeling. An _assassin_? Merlin thought he'd seen him stop an _assassination_?! Beyond the blunt disbelief, Arthur managed to wonder why hadn't he told him he'd done that. He could have been rewarded! And why did he look so… scared?

_Arthur, I swear, I only used a little bit. _

A little bit of what?

"What did you do exactly?" Arthur asked slowly. Merlin blinked in confusion.

"You didn't see… but then what…" he stammered, looking lost.

"Merlin, I _did _see you do something. But not stop an _assassination, _for gods' sake."

"Oh," Merlin's face relaxed momentarily, then he froze again. "Wait. Then what did you see?" Arthur, for his part, couldn't believe it. How many secrets did Merlin _have_?!

"What. Did. You. Do?" Arthur asked, ignoring Merlin's question. Forget waiting for Merlin to tell him himself- he obviously didn't know all of it. And Merlin seemed to think he was in serious trouble.

"I-uh-" Merlin gulped, shifting. "I… slipped and crashed into her… and, uh, she accidentally stabbed herself." He finished lamely.

The king couldn't believe it. He was lying. _Again! _

"Then what did you use 'a little bit of?" Arthur snapped. "Stop lying to me, Merlin!"

"But I-"

"_Mer_lin!" With a groan, Arthur let his head drop into his hands. Merlin really didn't trust him- that much was obvious.

"I thought I knew you," the king muttered.

"You _do _know me, Arthur!"

"Really, Merlin? Do I really?" He snapped back. The other man's silence was enough of a reply.

"So much for being friends," the king muttered under his breath. Across from him, Merlin's eyes widened.

"But-"

"No 'buts'. You obviously don't trust me," Arthur accused, and there was no denying the hurt that cut to his core now. _Merlin didn't trust him. _The concept was plain and simple- so why did it hurt so much?

"I _do _trust you-"

"Then tell me the truth! For once in your life, Merlin, tell me the truth!" A heavy silence followed his outburst. Then:

"Ok." A nervous gulp. An uneasy breath. "What do you want to know?"

"I didn't want-"

"It's ok, Arthur," Merlin assured him, although he was pale as a ghost. "I had to tell you eventually, anyway. What do you want to know?"

Another pause.

"The truth," Arthur managed, locking eyes with his servant. "Who are you _really_?"

"I am Emrys, the warlock who will help you unite Albion. I'm Emrys, the Druid savior who will return magic to the land. I'm the last Dragon Lord, son of Balinor. But," Merlin paused, looking almost pleadingly at his friend, begging him to understand. "I'm also Merlin. Merlin the manservant. Merlin, Gaius's ward. Merlin… your friend."

Arthur felt like he'd been hit over the head. He stared at his friend stupidly, mouth agape. Warlock? Albion? Druid savior? And, worst of all… returning magic to the land?

There was only one way magic could have returned.

"You're here to kill me," Arthur managed, feeling like he was trying to swallow a six-pence.

"What? No, Arthur! Never!" Merlin said quickly. "I'm here to protect you and serve you."

"Return magic…" Suddenly he felt light-headed. "You're a sorcerer."

"No, I'm a warlock," the other man corrected. "I never learned magic- I was born with it."

"That's impossible," Arthur stammered. Merlin just shook his head.

"Impossible!" Arthur repeated, anger surging forward to cover the hurt throbbing through him.

"It's the truth."

"I can't believe this," Arthur cried, standing up and pacing across the room. "I was prepared to guard your Dragon Lord secret, but this-"

"You knew I was a Dragon Lord?! How?" Merlin asked suddenly, looking shocked.

"I saw you! Talking to that dragon!" Arthur gave a humorless laugh. "Looks like that's not the only thing you can do, is it?"

"Arthur-"

"And I thought I knew everything about you! Did you ever tell me the truth about _anything_?!"

"_Arthur!_"

"All these years, and you've been-"

"ARTHUR!" The king turned to his manservant, his sentence hanging in the air half-finished.

"Look, I'm sorry," Merlin said, his face clearly showing his guilt and hurt. "I'm sorry. I'll say it as many times as you want to hear it. But if I'd told you the truth, you would have had me killed. You still might," he added, his voice faltering slightly.

"I thought I knew you," Arthur murmured again, his anger fading away to be replaced with a raw numbness.

"You _do_," Merlin said firmly, taking one step closer, but still keeping his distance. Maybe he thought Arthur was going to run him through with his sword.

That's what his father would have done.

That's what he would have told Arthur to do.

Was that what he was supposed to do?

"You do know me," Merlin echoed. "I've been here all this time… protecting you." Holding out his right hand, he murmured a few words. Before Arthur could react, a familiar blue sphere formed and floated over to Arthur. The King froze.

"Is that-"

"Yeah," Merlin confirmed. Hesitantly Arthur reached out and touched the sphere, and immediately his mind was flooded with memories. _Merlin's _memories.

Merlin disarming assassins, Merlin spilling the cup of life, Merlin fighting Morgana- memories and memories, stacking up around him like cards, swirling in the air. Then, just as suddenly as they'd come, they were gone. Sucked back into the orb like they'd never been.

Arthur could only stare at his friend.

"You-that was- but I- how-" the King stammered, speechless for once in his life.

"Banish me if you want, or you can _try_ to execute me," Merlin said after a moment with a wry smile. "But I'll just escape and wait."

"Wait for what?" Arthur asked.

"For when you need me again," Merlin said, his voice full of conviction.

There was only one thing to say.

"I'll keep your secret." Arthur meant it. Every word. "Now sit down. You've got a lot to explaining to do."

* * *

** Eh… hope that was okay-ish :/ It felt kind of off to me, but oh well. I like the other reveal fic I wrote better (When Druids can't keep secrets) Review, please! They make my day! :) Until next time! **


	4. Terrible Excuses

Hey everybody! This drabble is incredibly short, but hopefully kind of funny. :) I read another fic that inspired this little drabble, but can't remember what it was called… :/

**IMPORTANT! From now on I'm going to include a little "Quick Info" before the drabble. That'll let you know when the drabble takes place, if Arthur knows or not, etc. Also, please remember that (for the most part) these drabbles aren't related. In one, Arthur could know, and in the next one, maybe he doesn't, etc. Thanks, guys!**

**Disclaimer: BBC owns all. **

**Quick Info: No specific time, although Uther is still King and Arthur is still prince. Arthur knows Merlin has magic, but Merlin doesn't know that Arthur knows. Also, the scene opens up at breakfast time. Merlin's just saved Arthur's life from some nameless threat and is now trying (unsuccessfully) to cover up. **

Drabble 4- Terrible Excuses

It was clear: Merlin really couldn't keep his secret to save his life. Arthur groaned as he watched Merlin's eyes flash a not-so-subtle gold and the wine that the servant had just spilled on his freshly washed white tunic disappeared.

The servant looked up at Arthur's groan, and Arthur quickly spun around so Merlin wouldn't know he'd seen him.

"Something wrong?"

"Yes!" Arthur fumed. It wasn't a lie- something _was _wrong. _And that something, _Arthur thought in frustration, _is that you can't learn to be more careful! What if my father sees you one day? _Aloud, however, he only said, "I can't find my white tunic anywhere! I thought I specifically told you to have it washed!"

"If you'd stop and wait a minute," Merlin retorted, "You'd see I've got your tunic right here."

"Why wasn't it in my dresser?" Arthur asked, pretending to be confused.

"Oh! Uh…"

"_Mer_lin-"

"There was a beetle on it! I was getting it off!" Merlin said quickly, looking relieved.

"A beetle," Arthur repeated, letting his doubt show in his voice.

"Yep."

"Right," the prince sighed, walking over to Merlin and snatching the tunic. Once he'd slipped it on, he walked over to the table to "get some wine." In reality, he didn't feel much like a drink, but Merlin didn't know that.

"Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Care to explain why my _empty _goblet is doing on the floor? Hey! Is that my- _Mer_lin, why is my breakfast spilled everywhere?!" Arthur asked, standing next to the spill. The flustered look returned to the manservant's face, and Arthur mentally groaned again. _How have you kept your secret for so long? You can't even come up with an excuse for spilled wine! _

"Uh… it was… the beetle," Merlin stammered lamely.

"Again?"

"…Yes."

"And _how _exactly did a _beetle _make you spill my food everywhere?" Arthur prompted, crossing his arms over his chest. _This should be good. _

"Uh…" Merlin said intelligently, stumped. "Well…"

"Yes?"

"I was trying to kill it."

"By dropping my _food _on it?"

"…Yes," Merlin said, although it came out more like a question.

"You really are an idiot sometimes, aren't you, Merlin?" Before Merlin could respond to Arthur's insult, the prince's eye caught sight of something else.

"What on _earth _is the dagger from?"

"What dagger?" Merlin asked, the picture of wide-eyed innocence.

"That dagger," Arthur said, pointing to the long knife by the bent breakfast tray with a roll of his eyes.

"Oh, _that _dagger. Um… I was delivering it to you as a gift from Gaius," Merlin winced as the words left his mouth, obviously regretting his choice of excuse.

"_Gaius _is giving me a dagger?" Arthur asked, looking at Merlin incredulously.

"He's a wise old man, don't question him," Merlin chided as he cleaned up the mess.

"Whatever you say, Merlin," Arthur said with a sigh that clearly said _I've got better things to do. _

"Oh, and Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"Where's the beetle?"

"What beetle?" Merlin asked blankly.

"The beetle that you smashed with my breakfast!" Arthur cried.

"Oh! Uh…"

Yeah, pathetically short, I know :( Hopefully still kinda funny, though. What do you guys want to see next? Another reveal fic? Maybe some whump? Please let me know! (Remember I don't do slash, though. Sorry!) Until next time!


	5. No Better Friend

**Hola, everybody! :) Time for drabble five! Disclaimer: BBC owns all… yeah, shocked me too, I know… **

**Quick info: In this one, Arthur doesn't know Merlin has magic. Uther is dead, Arthur is king, and Gwen is Queen. No specific time, although Morgana is already evil, and Balinor and Freya are already dead. **

Drabble 5- No Better Friend

Merlin grinned, drowning another drink in a single gulp. It certainly wasn't the first drink he'd had so far (and the knights and a certain king with him were well past their first drink as well) but he wasn't drunk. Not at all. What kind of all-powerful warlock got drunk? No, Merlin was _not _intoxicated. The room was just a bit blurry, and Merlin was feeling just a tad giddy for no apparent reason.

All right, fine. He was drunk. Very, _very _drunk as a matter of fact, and his companions were as far gone as he was.

"Did you see me take down two men at once?" Arthur crowed, a lopsided grin plastered across his face. That was their excuse for consuming so much ale- the recently won war. Normally Merlin didn't come along with the knights on these outing, but this time Gwaine had insisted.

"That wasn't as awesome as me beating a man while I was unarmed," Gwaine bragged, hiccupping slightly.

"I think even Merlin might have taken a man or two down," Leon said (who was considerably more sober than the others.)

"Merlin?" Arthur snorted in disbelief. "Please. Merlin couldn't take down a three-legged dog, let alone a armed soldier!" The other knights roared with laughter, so drunk that they never realized that their disbelief might offend Merlin.

Normally, Merlin would brush off their comments. He'd smile tightly and think; _one day they'll know the truth. _Normally, Merlin's common sense would stop him from saying anything too stupid.

However, Merlin wasn't normally drunk. Unfortunately for him, all the ale he'd drunk seemed to have buried his common sense, efficiently shutting it up. So this time, Merlin spoke up.

"I bet I took down more men than anyone here," he said loudly, trying to glare at Arthur. It's a little hard to glare when you're drunk, however, and Merlin ended up glaring at a spot just over Arthur's right shoulder.

"That'd be the day!" Arthur cried, roaring with laughter. Once again, the others joined in, and the very drunken Merlin simmered with indignation. He was telling the truth! He'd taken out practically three-fourths of the army, for gods' sake!

"I did!" Merlin insisted. "I'm _always _saving your lives- not that I get any credit! No, it's always, '_Poor Merlin! The boy really is a bumbling idiot, isn't he?'_"

The thought of Merlin being some guardian angel was too much for the knights- Arthur laughed so hard his eyes watered up. Only Leon, the most sober in the group (which didn't really say much) hesitated. Something in Merlin's voice made him pause and turn over what the servant had said in his mind.

He _did _always emerge battle miraculously alive and relatively unharmed, and he _was _always present when the knights had an amazing, unexplainable victory. He didn't know how it was possible for one man to make such a difference, but with a jolt, Leon realized that maybe, just _maybe, _Merlin was telling the truth.

"Uh, Arthur-" the knight began, but was cut off by Gwaine.

"'Course you- _hiccup_- save our lives," Gwaine grinned. "You make that amazing- _hiccup_- soup on our- _hiccup_- quests!"

"That's not what I mean!" Merlin argued, his face growing red. "I can prove I fight as much as the rest of you!"

"Can you now?" Arthur smirked, taking another swing from his mug. "Go ahead, then. Prove it!"

"Arthur-" Leon tried again, but the loud approval from the other knights drowned out his voice.

"I will!" Merlin snapped, swaying slightly as he stood up and took of his jacket.

"Merlin, mate, what're you- _hiccup_- doing?" Gwaine asked.

"Showing you my scars," Merlin declared, pulling up one of his shirt sleeves.

"Scars?" Arthur snorted. "From what? Gathering firewoo…" The king trailed off as he saw Merlin's arm. The manservant's pale skin was had several long, pale white scars crisscrossing it. Definitely _not_ from collecting firewood.

"How did you get those?" Arthur managed, the sight of the scars sobering him up, as well as the others, who also fell silent.

"I dunno," Merlin laughed, realizing Arthur believed him now. "Morgana, maybe? Or was this one from Morgouse? Hard to remember- too many scars. Oh! I know- did I get it when I tipped over the cup of life? No, that's not right…" The others stared at Merlin in muted shock as he mused to himself. Arthur, to his credit, felt like he was going to be sick. How many scars did his friend _have_?

"You think that one's bad! You should see the ones on my back!" Merlin laughed again, swaying dangerously. "And then there are the other scars… the ones you can't see…" Merlin sobered up, his eyes unfocused as he remembered something Arthur could only guess at. "Those hurt the worst," Merlin said softly. "The scars on my heart… my mind…" And on that note, Merlin finally passed out.

* * *

Merlin trudged toward Arthur's chambers, the king's breakfast balanced on his arm and his head pounding. After passing out from so much alcohol, Merlin wasn't feeling to great. To make it worse, he couldn't remember a thing from the previous night except for shocked and concerned faces of his companions.

_For the love of Camelot, what did I say? _Merlin wondered for what felt like the thousandth time as he reached Arthur's door. Not bothering to knock, Merlin walked right in, the "GOOD MORNING," dying on his tongue at the sight that greeted him.

Arthur was seated at his table, very awake and already dressed (Merlin wasn't sure what surprised him more- the fact that Arthur had woken up early, or the fact that the king could, in fact, dress himself.)

"You're up," Merlin said, stunned.

"Yes, Merlin, thank you. I hadn't noticed," Arthur said sarcastically, gesturing for Merlin to set his food down. The servant complied, shooting Arthur a confused look.

"Uh… why exactly are you up so early?"

"To talk to you," Arthur said easily, motioning for Merlin to sit down. _Uh-oh, _Merlin thought uneasily as he sat down. _What on earth did I do this time? _

"I've been thinking about what you said last night," Arthur began, making Merlin freeze, "and I think you have some explaining to do."

"Uh, actually, I don't remember what I said last night," Merlin admitted sheepishly.

"Let me refresh your memory, then," Arthur offered, the picture of helpfulness. "You said that you constantly saved my life… and that you'd been hurt multiple times in the process," Arthur continued, dead serious now.

"Oh," Merlin gulped. "Did I? Wow. I must have been _really _drunk. Guess I say some pretty wild stuff when-"

"_Mer_lin," Arthur interrupted. "You showed me your scars."

"I did?" Merlin gaped. "_All _of them?!"

"Ah, yes, about that," Arthur said, "I need you to take off your shirt."

"_What?" _

"You said something about the scars on your back," Arthur explained impatiently. "So, I want to see them." At his words Merlin swore under his breath, looking uncomfortable.

"Arthur, I'm not going to-"

"Take. It. Off. _Now." _Arthur's tone of voice did not leave room for argument. Grumbling under his breath, Merlin pulled his shirt off.

"There. Happy?" Merlin grumbled, shooting a glare at his king. Said king, on the other hand, was staring at Merlin in horror. The man's chest was literally coated with every kind of scar imaginable. Scars from swords and knifes, burn scars- you name it, he had it.

"Good _lord_, Merlin! How on _earth _did you get all those?!" Arthur demanded.

"Uh…"

"_Mer_lin…" Arthur said dangerously.

"Depends. Which one?"

"Any of them," Arthur said, looking at Merlin intently.

"Well," Merlin began slowly, resigned to explaining. "This one I got from Morgana, when she left me tied up in the woods. This one I got courtesy of Nimueh, and that one…" the servant trailed off when he noticed the look on his master's face. "Arthur? Are you ok?"

"How did I never notice how often you were injured?" Arthur muttered, more to himself than to Merlin.

"You've been busy," Merlin said uncomfortably as he slipped his shirt back on.

"That's no excuse," Arthur snapped, looking frustrated. "What else have I missed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night- you said you'd been hurt in more ways than one," Arthur explained lamely. Merlin got the message, though. His face immediately paled.

"I said that?"

"Yes."

"Oh, gods," Merlin cursed. "I really shouldn't have said that. Arthur, it's no big deal. Just stuff here and there, you know-"

"No, I don't know," Arthur snapped impatiently. "That's why you're going to tell me."

"But-"

"_Mer_lin!" Arthur cried.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Merlin retorted, desperate to avoid the topic. Arthur hesitated. He couldn't say the truth- _because you're my friend and I want to know what you've been through. _So he said the next best thing.

"I want to make sure the crown hasn't ever wronged you," Arthur said, expecting Merlin to deny it. When Merlin remained silent, looking like he might be sick, Arthur felt his stomach knot in worry.

"Merlin," Arthur said slowly, feeling uneasy. "I- I mean, the crown- _hasn't _ever wronged you, has it?"

"Not intentionally," Merlin said, so softly Arthur almost missed it. Almost.

_Oh no. _

"What happened?" Arthur chocked out. "I need to know," Arthur said (and _no_, it didn't sound suspiciously like he was begging) when Merlin hesitated.

"Well," Merlin began slowly, like he was trying to find the best way to word something. "My father was, uh, chased by a knight-"

"I thought you never knew your father," Arthur interrupted.

"I didn't. Well, I did meet him, but only briefly. He had to leave us to escape Uth- I mean, the knight." It was too late, though- Arthur had heard his friend's slip up.

"My father ran him out?" Arthur asked, his voice too quiet. Merlin's silence was all the answer he needed.

"What else?" He choked out. Some part of him _needed _to know what his friend had endured, even though it hurt. "Have," Arthur broke off, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Have _I _ever done anything?"

Silence. Then:

"You didn't know. I don't blame you."

"Blame me for what?" Arthur asked, almost desperately.

"I really don't think this is a good idea-"

"_Mer_lin, tell me. _Please_." There. Arthur had said it. The p-word. Merlin looked stunned, but eventually complied (although very reluctantly.)

"A while back, there was this girl," Merlin said softly, staring at the ground intently. Arthur was dumbstruck. How had he missed his friend _falling in_ _love?_

"Her name was Freya," Merlin continued, his eyes glassy and unfocused. "She was beautiful, Arthur. She had the prettiest eyes…" He trailed off, lost in memory.

"What happened to her?" Arthur forced himself to ask.

"She… she was cursed," Merlin chocked out. "And a knight killed her trying to defend his people."

Horror coursed through Arthur's veins as he recalled Merlin's words.

_You didn't know. I don't blame you. _

Arthur thought he might be sick.

"Merlin… I didn't… did I…" He asked, not sure how to voice the question.

"I don't blame you, Arthur," Merlin repeated softly.

Oh gods, no. _He had killed Freya. _Oh _no. _He couldn't even imagine how he'd feel if someone killed Gwen.

Why didn't Merlin hate him? He should hate him!

"Merlin…" Arthur trailed off. What was he supposed to say? _Hey, sorry I killed your only love. _Somehow, the king doubted that would help very much.

In the end, he said, "Why do you stay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you stay?" Arthur repeated. "After what you've been through… why don't you leave?"

"Because you're my friend, Arthur," Merlin said honestly. "And I believe in the future you're going to build."

The answer was short, but it spoke measures.

Arthur really could have no better friend.

**Ok… did this drabble leave anyone else feeling depressed? It did for me :/ I'll try to make the next one funny- suggestions are welcome! Until next time! (Oh, and happy early Labor Day!) **


	6. Reading Minds and other Terrors

**Hey, guys :) Remember me? So, this is yet a**_**nother **_**reveal fic, despite my promise this one would be funny, 'cuz… well, it's really not. Hope ya'll like it, though! :) **

**Disclaimer: One day, I'll take over BBC and own Merlin *mad cackle* shush, though, it's a secret… muawahah- hey, why are you running away? **

**Quick info: Set sometime in season one or two, around there. Uther is alive, Morgana is good, Gwen is still a servant, and Arthur doesn't know Merlin's secret. **

* * *

Drabble 6- Reading Minds and other Terrors

The effects weren't immediate. When Arthur and Merlin were raided on a hunting trip by yet another nameless sorcerer bent on revenge, he'd seemed harmless and senile. Sure, he'd hit Arthur with some kind spell, but the prince had felt fine afterword, so he'd written the man off as an untalented, crazy fool. The man (now safely locked up) had been conveniently knocked out by a falling tree branch before he could do any real damage.

At least, that's what Arthur had thought.

He'd never been more wrong. He was now more convinced that this man was more evil than any foe he'd ever faced.

It had started that morning, when Merlin came to wake him up, late as always.

"GOOD MORNING, SIRE!" He'd yelled, very loudly right next to Arthur's ear. Of course, Arthur jumped and gave a _very _manly yelp of surprise (and _yes, _it was manly. Obviously.)

That hadn't been the odd thing, though. The odd thing had been when Arthur had heard Merlin's voice, clear as day, inside his head.

_Look at him jump! _Snickered the voice. _Teach him to make me muck out the stables. _

"You deserved it!" Arthur cried, turning on Merlin. Merlin blinked in confusion.

"I deserved what?"

"To muck out the stables!" Arthur clarified, staring his manservant down. Merlin just stared at him.

"Right, you must have been having a pretty intense dream. Maybe some breakfast will-"

"No!" Arthur interrupted. "I heard you!"

_Prince Arthur, hearing voices… if Camelot wasn't doomed before, it certainly is now, _said Merlin's voice again. This time, though, Arthur was looking straight at Merlin- and his mouth wasn't moving.

"There it was again!" Arthur said quickly. "Didn't you hear it? It said I was crazy… and Camelot was doomed… hey!"

"You heard that?" Merlin asked, looking shocked.

"Yes. You heard it too?" Arthur asked, almost hopefully. He needed to know he wasn't going crazy.

"No," Merlin said, shaking his head slowly. "I _thought _it. Oh, god… you read my mind. _Literally._" He looked pale and almost… terrified… for a moment, although Arthur couldn't fathom why. A moment later, he heard Merlin's thoughts, unintentionally answering his unasked question.

_How much can he hear? Can he look through my mind? Oh no… what if he finds out about my- no, don't even think about it! He could be listening! _

"I could find out what?" Arthur asked curiously. Merlin looked scandalized.

"Thoughts are supposed to be private, you know," he scolded.

"Maybe," Arthur scowled. "Only I can hear yours. How do I get rid of it? Why can I even _do _this?!"

Merlin paused for a moment, thinking. Several possibilities flew through the manservant's mind at once, making Arthur's own head spin.

"That man in the woods yesterday. Maybe his spell did this to you?"

A flow of very un-princely sounding curse words followed Merlin's theory, which, admittedly, sounded correct.

"Will it go away?" The prince asked desperately.

"Spells like that usually go away after 24 hours or so," Merlin informed him, and this time Arthur heard no accompanying thoughts. The manservant seemed to be carefully guarding his thoughts for some reason, keeping his guard up and Arthur out.

The prince was partly glad for this- he really didn't need to know every little detail about Merlin- but it also sparked a little curiosity. Was Merlin… _hiding _something?

Well, if he was, the prince was going to use his 24 hours putting his new ability to its best possible use; figuring out what was up with Merlin.

* * *

_Lord, take me now, _Arthur prayed, rubbing his temple with one hand. He was currently at a council meeting, which was boring enough normally, but when you could hear _every single Nobel's thought_-! Not to mention none of the thoughts were even remotely interesting. They consisted of things like:

_I wonder what's for lunch. _

_Is that a spider? _

_Look at that manservant. What does he think he's doing- _

At that last thought Arthur jerked his head around, trying to locate which Nobel had an issue with Merlin. It wasn't hard. Lord Borin (Borin the Boring, as Arthur had called him as a child) was glaring daggers at his manservant. Arthur dug deeper into his thoughts, trying to figure out what was going on.

_No respect what so ever. Thinks he can talk to the Prince however he wants- hump! I'll show him! Let's see… I could always discipline him the way I disciplined Sadon… that worked well… _

Arthur reeled back, ignoring the odd glance his father sent him. Images of a beat servant crossed the Lord's mind, making Arthur's stomach turn.

The rest of the meeting flew by in a blur.

"Council dismissed," Uther said, rising and jerking Arthur from his (and everyone else's) thoughts.

"Wait!" Arthur said, jumping up. The council turned back to him, looking confused. Uther's thoughts floated over to Arthur (_What does he think he's doing?_) but Arthur shoved it aside.

"I would just like to thank everyone for coming," Arthur said, his mind racing. "But I would like to remind you all that certain matters are not in your control here. Servant discipline, for example. We had a problem with that last year around harvest time," Arthur lied quickly, "I'd like to remind you all that such actions against those employed here _will not be tolerated._ Thank you."

The lords left the room, mumbling under their breath in confusion. Soon the room was empty except for Uther, Arthur himself, and Merlin, who was waiting for the prince by the door.

_Why would Arthur make up that rule? Was one of the Lords thinking something? I wonder- _

Arthur shook his head to clear Merlin's thoughts from his head, starting to the door.

"One minute, Arthur. I'd like to have a word with you," Uther called, stopping Arthur in his tracks. "You are dismissed, servant," the king added, addressing Merlin. The manservant gave a brief bow to the king, his troubled gaze on the prince, and then left.

Now father and son were alone.

"Arthur, what problem was there last year?" The king asked carefully.

"A servant was beat," Arthur lied, trying desperately to think up a name. In the end, he used the name of Lord Borin's servant. "A stable boy named Sadon. I was just trying to prevent the event from reoccurring."

_Arthur has lost his mind, _said the king's voice in Arthur's head. All he said out loud, though, was:

"I'm sure there was a good reason, Arthur."

"Perhaps," Arthur agreed evenly. "But they are s_ervants,_ not _slaves_. They should not be expected to tolerate such treatment."

"I see," said his father, but Arthur knew from his thoughts that the king didn't understand at all. He thought his son was making a big deal over nothing.

Suddenly his mind was split open with an agonized thought: _ARTHUR! _Suddenly the though was cut off, pain replacing it.

Merlin.

Merlin was in trouble.

"If you'll excuse me, father," Arthur said, barely restraining himself from tearing out of the room in a mad rush.

_That boy really has lost it… _Uther's train of thought faded as Arthur tore down the hall, trying to trace the thought. It would be so much easier if he could send a thought back- wait. Could he do that? It couldn't hurt to try, could it?

_Where are you? _ He thought, picturing himself talking to his friend- um, manservant.

_Empty chamber, _came a thought back after a dangerously long pause. _Third floor. _Arthur hurried to the room, the thoughts growing stronger as he neared the room.

He reached the door and yanked on the handle, freezing in dismay when the door didn't budge. It was locked. From inside the room there was a gasp of pain and a heavy _thump_ as someone collapsed to the floor.

_Are you fighting back? _Arthur thought desperately, struggling with the door.

_Can't. He's a Lord… get in trouble… _the thought was dangerously slurred.

Arthur didn't know if Merlin had the strength to, but he sent the next thought anyway; _FIGHT BACK! _

_Fight back… with what? _Merlin's thought were for himself now, but Arthur heard them anyway. _Can't use my magic… not on a Nobel.._

Arthur reeled back when he heard the thought, frozen. Magic? Merlin had _magic_? Suddenly he remembered Merlin blocking him out earlier; was that why? Because he had this illegal gift?

Some part of him knew he should be furious. He should call for the guards, feel betrayed, anything! But all he felt was worry for his friend. He _hadn't _attacked Lord Borin back, he _hadn't _defended himself; that was all Arthur needed to know to know that Merlin was about as scheming and evil as a one-winged butterfly.

And that is why he sent the next thought confidently and with a clear conscience.

_USE YOUR MAGIC! For the love of Camelot, Merlin, FIGHT BACK! _

* * *

"GOOD MORNING SIRE!" Called Merlin, throwing the curtains open. Arthur rolled over and sat up, grumbling and squinting against the harsh sunlight. Then he froze.

"Think something," he ordered his servant.

"I'm thinking," he told the prince, and Arthur grinned.

"I can't hear you! It wore off!"

"I told you it would," Merlin said matter-of-factly. He looked better this morning (Arthur suspected a little magic had been used to speed up Merlin's recovery.) He had a black eye and a split lip, and was limping slightly, but otherwise, he looked fine.

"So," Arthur began, going over to his breakfast table. "I learned something very interesting yesterday, _Mer_lin." The servant froze. Arthur didn't need to be able to read his mind to know that Merlin thought he was referring to his magic (a subject neither had attempted to approach.)

"What did you learn?" Merlin asked, his voice steady despite his pale face.

"I learned," Arthur dawdled, "That I don't particularly like being able to read minds. In fact, I think I'm going to forget about the whole thing."

"Really?" Merlin asked, pretending to be uninterested although Arthur knew he was listening carefully. "What about Lord Borin? He's saying I attacked him with magic."

"Is he now?" Arthur asked, feigning shock. "Well, we both know that's a lie. _I _defeated him, remember? You were unconscious, and I came in and knocked him out with the hilt of my sword."

"Right," Merlin said, catching on quickly and nodding. "And when he brings up the locked door-?"

"Well, lying is highly punishable. And I think my father will believe me, don't you?" Arthur grinned, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course," Merlin said seriously, hiding his own smirk.

"Lord Borin will be easy to forget about, of course," Arthur said idly, taking a bite of his eggs. "Men stripped of their title and wealth tend to fade out of memory."

Merlin stared at him in shock.

"You're stripping him of his title and wealth? Over a_ servant_? Your father's not going to like that," Merlin warned.

"I'm not doing it because he attacked you," Arthur lied, rolling his eyes as if to say, _Pfft, Merlin, don't be stupid. _"He also directly disobeyed me and then _lied _to save his own skin, remember? I think my father will understand. It's a matter of honor."

"Of course," Merlin nodded seriously.

"Now I need my armor washed, my sword sharpened, the stabled need to be mucked out, my floor needs polishing…" Arthur trailed off as he walked toward the door, donning his riding clothes (with some help from Merlin) on his way out.

"Hey, Arthur?" Merlin said suddenly as Arthur was almost out the door.

"Yes?"

"Thank you." Arthur didn't need to ask what he meant.

"You're welcome, Merlin." Both knew he was talking about more than just dealing with the lord.

* * *

**Eh… this one isn't really the best :/ I liked how the ending turned out, though… oh well. Review? **


	7. He's at the Tavern again

**Hello again! Yes, it's me… again! I'm updating twice! In one day! YAY! **

**Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. **

**Quick info: Uther is still alive and Arthur is prince. Morgana is evil. Arthur doesn't know about Merlin's magic. **

* * *

Drabble 7- He's at the Tavern… again

Arthur couldn't believe it. As he stormed down the halls to Gaius's chambers, there was all but smoke coming out of his ears; the prince was furious and it was clear as day.

"MERLIN!" He yelled, not even bothering to knock. "Where are you, you good for nothing-"

"Can I help you, sire?" Interrupted a firm voice, and Arthur turned to see Gaius giving him the famed "eyebrow."

"Have you seen Merlin? He was _supposed _to wake me up an hour ago for an extremely important council meeting, but NO!" Arthur seethed. "My father was _not _impressed by my late entry, I can tell you that, and it's all that idiot's-"

"I'm sorry, sire," Gaius broke in. "Merlin has been gone since yesterday evening. He… went to the tavern, and I'm afraid he hasn't returned yet."

"He's _at the tavern_?!" Arthur echoed, seething. "Well, you tell him when he returns that if he _ever _forgets to wake me up for a council meeting again- I don't care if he's hungover in a tavern or dying in a ditch!- it will mean a week in the stocks for him!" With that, the crown prince turned on his heel and stormed from the room much in the same manner he had entered it; rather dramatically, in Gaius's professional opinion. Not that he would ever tell the prince that, of course.

* * *

"Princess! What's got you 'n a fit s'morning?" Slurred the familiar drunken voice of Gwaine from down the hallway.

"Gwaine," Arthur greeted, his anger having somewhat simmered down since leaving Gaius's chambers. Not much, but at least he wasn't yelling anymore. "I suppose you had a great time with Merlin at the Rising Sun last night. Get rip-roaring drunk, did you?" He asked dryly.

"Merl'n?" Gwaine echoed, "At a tav'rn? That's funny!" He chuckled, leaning heavily against the wall to support himself in his fit of laughter.

"Why is that funny?" Arthur asked evenly, rolling his eyes. "I'm beginning to think Merlin spends as much time at the tavern as you, Gwaine, and that's saying something."

"Silly princess," Gwaine hiccupped with a grin. "Merl'n don't have any head for al -hiccup- alcohol. Two cups, and he's out! Why- hiccup- why did you think he never drunk much?"

"If he doesn't drink," Arthur said in an almost patronizing tone, "Then why is he always at the tavern?"

"Merl'n was at the tav'rn? Why didn't anyone tell me? I've- hiccup- been trying to get him to get drunk with me all year!"

"What?" Arthur blinked. "Weren't you just at the tavern with him?"

"No," Gwaine slurred. "I mean, I was at the tavr'n, but Merl'n wasn't there." With that Gwaine continued down the hallway, whistling an off-tune children's song happily.

The prince stared after him, one thought in his mind; _if Merlin isn't at the tavern, then where is he?_

* * *

"Saddle a horse for me," Arthur commanded, lost in thought. Where could Merlin be? He'd check the tavern first, just to be sure, and then… maybe the forest? But why would he go to the forest?

"I thought you'd come," the servant said cheerfully. "After all, your manservant doesn't normally go places without you. I thought it was odd when he saddled up a horse."

"Merlin came here to get a horse?" Arthur asked suddenly, giving his full attention to the servant.

"Yep," the boy said. "Rode out of here like the devil was on his tail, he did."

"Really," Arthur mused, more to himself than the boy. So he wasn't going to the tavern, then- that was barely ten minutes' walk. "Did you see what direction he went?"

The boy nodded and pointed, and Arthur followed the path his finger made, frowning. There wasn't much down that direction- mostly houses. A few small shops, but they would have been closed yesterday evening. There was also…

"The main gate," Arthur realized, shock flooding him. "He _left _Camelot? Why?" The boy just blinked in confusion, then shrugged and handed the prince the reigns to his house.

Mounting quickly, Arthur rode off, ready to question some guards.

* * *

"Sire," said one of the four guards at the gate, bowing deeply.

"Have you seen a young man ride out this was around evening time yesterday?" Arthur asked, eyes trained on the guard. The guard seemed startled by his question.

"Well, sire, many young men travel through here daily. I'm afraid I couldn't remember a specific face if I tried," the guard said apologetically.

"Merlin, my manservant. Surly you've seen him around before; you must know who he is. Did he come through here?"

"Merlin? Yes, he did. He told us he was going to collect herbs for the court physician, sire."

"Oh," Arthur said. He hadn't considered Merlin could be collecting herbs. _But overnight? And then why did Gaius say he was at the tavern? _ "And he hasn't returned yet?"

"No, sire, not that we're aware of."

"I see," the prince murmured, turning his horse back to the gate. _Maybe he really did go to the woods… _it was a place to start, at least.

When Arthur did find Merlin, he knew this; the man had a lot of questions to answer.

* * *

Merlin's trail was surprisingly hard to find, despite Arthur's skills in tracking. Eventually, though, he did pick up the trail, and it did lead him to the woods. Following the trail, he headed deeper and deeper into the woods, growing more and more worried. What on earth could Merlin possibly be doing out here?

"He'd have you executed!" Came a furious cry, and Arthur dismounted, drawing his sword and creeping toward an all-to-familiar voice. If the prince wasn't mistaken, that voice belonged to Rowan, a sorcerer who had attacked Camelot a few days previously. Although he'd been knocked out toward the end of the fight, Merlin had told him Rowan had been fatally wounded and had escaped to find a place to die.

Apparently not. As Arthur peered through a bush he was crouched behind, he saw his assumption had been right; the voice had belonged to Rowan. Across from Rowan stood Merlin, looking oddly confident and unworried in the face of the evil magic user.

"Maybe," Merlin told the other man, an unrecognizable expression flashing briefly in his eyes. "But I believe in Arthur- even if renegade druids like you do not."

"I could have killed him and his father, and then magic users like us will be free!" Rowan argued, his eyes hard and angry. "You shouldn't have stopped me!" Arthur felt a prick of unease at the ex-druid's words- 'magic users like _us_?' _Maybe he was referring to the druids, _Arthur tried to reassure himself.

"I couldn't let you kill them- you know that," Merlin said, shaking his head. Arthur almost laughed; Merlin, protecting him? Like _that _would ever happen!

"You are a traitor!" Rowan roared, taking a threatening step forward. Arthur wanted to yell at Merlin to get out of there, but his voice didn't seem to want to cooperate.

"No," Merlin snapped, "I'm fulfilling my destiny." He seemed undaunted by Rowan's cold, malicious glare, and even when Rowan raised his hand (which glowed with energy) he didn't budge or falter.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Merlin said evenly, confidently.

"Your petty abilities cannot protect you," Rowan snarled. "And once you're gone, I w_ill _go after the Pendragons again. And this time, nobody will be there to stop me!" _Petty abilities? _Arthur wondered, concern for his friend making his throat seem to close up. Somehow, he didn't think Rowan was thinking about Merlin's juggling.

"My petty abilities," Merlin echoed, seeming almost… sad. "You're wrong there, Rowan. I think you'll find I'm more than a match for you. One last chance- leave, and never return. I told Arthur you were dead; you can start a new life for yourself." _What is he talking about? _Arthur wondered, growing frustrated. Rowan would kill Merlin in any fight!

"There can be no new life for me while that tyrant lives," Rowan snarled, undaunted by Merlin's warning.

"In that case, I'm sorry," Merlin said, sounding genuinely remorseful.

Of course, it was that moment that Arthur's horse gave an uneasy whinny. Creeping back to the creature, Arthur untied its reigns from a tree- or at least, he tried to. In the dark, it was harder than it looked. Behind him, flashes of light erupted from the clearing and someone gave a cry of pain- whether it was Rowan or Merlin, Arthur wasn't sure.

Desperation made him clumsy, and he cursed as he struggled with the knot. He sorely wanted to leave the stupid horse and make sure Merlin was winning this fight _somehow, _but it would do him no good if the spooked creature gave his position away or distracted his clumsy manservant.

"There!" Arthur grunted under his breath as he pulled the reigns free, and the horse galloped off. Arthur didn't care; he could walk back, and the horse was trained to return to Camelot anyway. Besides, there were more pressing matters at the moment.

Stumbling back to his hiding spot, Arthur was shocked at the sight that greeted him. Merlin stood in the middle of the clearing, apparently unhurt, although in the dark in was hard to tell. Rowan's limp form was on the ground, either knocked unconscious or dead. The clearing was testimony enough that the fight, although brief, had been vicious. Scorch marks and smoking craters littered the clearing, yet somehow, Merlin had emerged… victorious.

_How? _Arthur wondered through the undeniable feeling of relief that filled him. The question was pushed aside, though; Merlin was ok, and this time, Rowan really had been taken care of. Everything else could wait.

* * *

"Up and at 'em, sire!" Called a familiar voice, pulling Arthur from sleep's clutches.

"Huh?" He mumbled intelligently, propping himself up in his bead. Then it all came back at once: following Merlin, watching him fight Rowan and somehow emerge as the winner, trudging back to Camelot and collapsing into bed, exhausted. Suddenly the reality of the situation sunk in; Merlin snuck out to fight off an evil sorcerer. Had this happened before? Was this why Merlin was always missing? How had he defeated Rowan in the first place?

He turned to look at his manservant (realizing first that Merlin was late… again.) and next the bags under his eyes. He looked as exhausted as Arthur felt.

"Breakfast is on the table, sleeping beauty," Merlin grinned, going over to lay out his clothes. It was only then that Arthur noticed that Merlin was limping. Worry coursed through him (though he'd never admit it.)

"Merlin," he said, much more calmly than he felt. "Why are you limping?"

"Limping?" Merlin echoed, the picture of wide-eyed innocence.

"Yes, limping. Favoring your left leg. Injured. Need I go on?" Arthur replied without missing a beat.

"Oh, _that_," Merlin said with a slightly nervous-sounding laugh. "I tripped yesterday and twisted my ankle."

"Really? Tripping at the tavern?" Arthur asked dryly. "You must have a horrible headache, too, staying there overnight. Is that why you're late _again _this morning?"

Merlin muttered something illegible, turning away with a roll of his eyes. Arthur thought he heard something about "talking to Gaius" the term "prat" as well, but wasn't sure.

"I see. Now what's the truth?"

"What?" Merlin asked, turning back to Arthur, looking confused.

"When you twist your ankle, _Mer_lin, it swells up. Yet you managed to get your boot on this morning. So what's the real reason you're limping?"

"I-uh-" Merlin stammered, looking like a dear cornered by a hunter. "Gaius… gave me something for the swelling, that's all."

"Right," Arthur said, unconvinced. "Let's see your ankle, then. Take off your boot."

"That's not really necessary-"

"It's completely necessary, because I'm the prince and I'm telling you to show me your 'twisted ankle.' Now _sit._"

Merlin sat. Removing his boot grudgingly, he rolled up his pant cuff so his ankle could be seen. As Arthur suspected, it was fine. Just above his ankle, however, the edge of a white bandage could be seen.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to the bandage. Merlin winced, taking a deep breath.

"Nothing," he lied weakly.

"Show me," Arthur ordered. Merlin seemed to sense Arthur wasn't messing around, and pulled his the fabric further up, revealing the thick white bandage spotted with crimson blood.

"How did you get _that_?" He asked, feeling slightly sick as he looked at the bandage.

"Fell down the stairs," Merlin muttered, not meeting Arthur's gaze.

"Then why did you say you tripped?"

"I tripped… and then fell down the stairs."

Arthur shot him a doubtful look. "_Mer_lin…" He said, raising an eyebrow and trying to hide his growing fury; fury that was directed not at Merlin, but at Rowan. He knew the sorcerer had to be the cause of Merlin's injury. And it infuriated him. How _dare _that sorcerer hurt his clumsy, idiotic manservant? "What do I always say about you playing hero?"

"That it doesn't suit me," Merlin replied automatically, before freezing. "Wait- what?"

"I saw you," Arthur said simply, deciding to come right out with it. "In the woods. Fighting Rowan." Merlin's expression would have been funny in any other circumstance. His mouth dropped open like a goldfish, and his eyes bulged.

"You saw me? All of it?" He asked in a strangled voice, gulping.

"Almost all of it," Arthur admitted, not sure why Merlin looked so… scared. No, scratch scared. The man looked terrified. "I saw you tell him to leave. And then… you fought, I suppose. How you beat him, Merlin, I'll never know-"

"Wait," Merlin interrupted. "So you didn't actually see me fight him?" He was staring at the royal intently, as if his life depended on his answer. Arthur found it unnerving.

"No," he admitted. "My horse spooked. In the dark, it took me a while to untie the knot. By the time I had… well, it looked like you'd handled things somehow." At his words, Merlin looked oddly relieved. Some color returned to his face and he relaxed somewhat, which confused Arthur further.

"Merlin…" he said slowly, almost fearing the answer. "How exactly _did _you defeat Rowan?" Merlin paused again, looking like he was having an internal argument with himself.

"He defeated himself, really," Merlin said slowly after a moment, obviously choosing his words carefully. "He went for the flashy spells that were easy enough to dodge. I got close enough to him that he went down pretty fast."

"Oh," was all Arthur said. Something sounded off about Merlin's answer, not quite right; but Arthur wasn't about to press the matter. Some part of him was relieved- Merlin had just gotten lucky, after all. All that talk in the woods had been a bluff. Arthur had nothing to worry about. There was something he did want to know, however.

"Why?" He asked, studying his friend's face carefully.

"Why what?" Asked Merlin, looking blank.

"Why, _Mer_lin, would you fight a sorcerer? We've established that you're not a knight, and you haven't looked for any recognition," the prince clarified.

Merlin gave a kind of sad smile before saying, "because you're my friend- prince. My prince," Merlin corrected hastily. "And you already have a lot on your plate. The last thing you needed was some renegade druid making trouble. I was just trying to help."

Arthur would never admit it- _never _in a million years!- but at Merlin's words some of the weight on his shoulders seemed to disappear. His manservant- no, his friend- was right; the prince _was _under a lot of pressure.

But for the first time, he felt like maybe, just maybe, he wasn't in this alone, after all.

* * *

**Make my day and review? Pretty please? And suggestions are welcome! :) Until next time! **


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